NEW DELHI: India on September 18, Friday strongly rejected Pakistan’s irrational allegations over the collision between Indian Navy ship INS Kolkata and Pakistan Navy vessel PNS Hunain in the Arabian Sea. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Pakistani vessel conducted an “unacceptable and unprofessional” manoeuvre that resulted in the collision.
Responding to media queries during the MEA’s biweekly press briefing, Jaiswal said that India had seen Pakistan’s response to the protest lodged by New Delhi and rejected the allegations and insinuations contained in it. “We have seen Pakistan’s response to the protest we had lodged. It is the usual prevarication that we expected. We reject the allegations and insinuations contained therein”, Jaiswal said.
“Let me reiterate the facts of the matter. INS Kolkata was on a routine deployment in the western Arabian Sea when Pakistani Naval Ship Hunain conducted itself in an unacceptable and unprofessional manner at sea that resulted in a collision”, he added. Jaiswal said the “dangerous overtaking manoeuvre” by PNS Hunain was in “gross violation” of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991.
The agreement specifies that the naval units at sea are not to be within three nautical miles of each other, he said. “In addition, the Pakistani ship also infringed the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea”, he added. The MEA spokesperson said that Pakistan had once again been advised about the need for all military units to exercise due care and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two sides to prevent any repeat of such incidents. “The incident did not cause any major damage to INS Kolkata and she remains at sea”, he added.
India summoned Pakistan Envoy amid unprofessional manoeuvres by Islamabad’s Navy
Remarks and clarification from MEA come after a collision took place between INS Kolkata and PNS Hunain in the Arabian Sea on September 15, Tuesday evening. Following the incident, India on September 16, Wednesday summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest over what it termed the “unacceptable and unprofessional conduct” of Pakistani naval units.
The Pakistani Charge d’Affaires was advised to convey to the concerned authorities in Pakistan about the need for all military units to exercise due care and comply with relevant bilateral agreements to prevent any recurrence of such incidents. The Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad has also been instructed to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asserted MEA spokesperson. The Pakistan Navy ship was also observed to be heading towards its harbour after sustaining damage.
(With Inputs from ANI)
